Torre e Casa Campatelli
A thousand years of history encapsulated in a family’s tower-house
In San Gimignano, one of the famous towers – incorporated within an authentically furnished 18th-century palazzo – evokes the life of the Tuscan middle class of the late 19th century, narrated using sophisticated digital technologies.
Bequeathed to FAI by Lydia Campatelli in 2005.
Of the 72 ancient towers that made San Gimignano famous, only 14 have survived to the present day. Thanks to them, we can still marvel at the unmistakable silhouette of what is the most celebrated Italian mediaeval village of all. The remaining towers include the one that belonged to the Campatellis, a family of Florentine entrepreneurs and landowners who, from the early 19th century, associated their name with the 28-metre-high tower-house erected in the mid-12th century. Today this is the only tower that has retained the original single volume of the construction, being completely hollow inside. The family purchased the entire complex and turned it into an haute bourgeoisie residence that reached us intact, in terms of both its appearance and its atmosphere, thanks to Lydia Campatelli, who in 2005 left the house to FAI on condition that it would be opened up to the public. The residence is rich in narratives, ranging from the history of the mediaeval city to the vicissitudes of an opulent family and offering, in the process, a vivid encapsulation of middle-class life in Tuscany in the period straddling the 19th and 20th centuries, caught between tradition and modernity. The visitor experience begins with an evocative video, projected onto the walls of the attic, that covers the history, identity and legends of San Gimignano, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then, on the piano nobile, furnished with original pieces that have been complemented with great care, we enter the daily life of the owners of the house: a world suspended in the past, amid photographs, private memories, objets d'art and collections, including Montelupo pottery and paintings by Guido Peyron – a renowned Florentine artist who was also Lidya’s uncle. A visit to the Campatelli Tower-House is a bona fide journey back in time, set against more than 1000 years of history.
Torre and Casa Campatelli is open to the public from Monday to Sunday, 10.30 AM - 7PM
Prior booking required for groups of a minimum of 10 people.
Torre e Casa Campatelli is located in the centre of San Gimignano, 200 m from Porta San Giovanni.
Entrance:
- FAI members: free entry*
- Adult: € 7
- Children (6-18 yoa): € 4
- Students under 26 yoa: €5
The ticket includes a free tour of the main floor and the screening of a documentary about the one thousand years of San Gimignano history.
Duration: 45 minutes
Entrance with guided tour:
- FAI members: 5€
- Adults: €12
- Reduced (aged 6-18): €5
- Students aged 25 or under: €9
- Children aged 0-5, National Trust members, Bienfaiteurs Amis du Louvre members, residents of the San Gimignano local council area, people with disabilities +1 companion: free entry *
*with the exception of specific events, when the additional event charge will apply.
During events the price may be subject to change.
- Groups: discounted rate for groups with over 20 participants. Click here to book
The visit begins in the Attic Spaces and the Tower, where you will be immersed in a screening of the film entitled A Thousand Years in San Gimignano, which brings the walls of the house to life. The film enters into a dialogue with a dazzling alabaster model of the town, in a captivating combination of audio-visual evocations that signals the start of your journey in search of the jewel that is San Gimignano.
On the same floor, you will come across a space where you can browse through books on the town and the surrounding area, and discover – in a small, temporary exhibition – a number of compelling items from the archive of the family who lived in Casa Campatelli.
The visit continues on the piano nobile, which has been remodelled to resemble the way it would have looked at the end of the 19th century, thanks to the inclusion of original furnishings and objets d’art from the house – complemented by other, painstakingly selected pieces – in order to give you the chance to savour the atmosphere of an earlier age, as you make your way between public rooms and bedrooms, where you will find paintings, documents, decorative pieces and photographs collected by the donor, which illustrate the specific characters who lived here and their experiences, as well as the more general lifestyle of a typical upper-middle-class Tuscan family of the time.
The incomes of the giftshop are a solid contribution to FAI.
Torre e Casa Campatelli has free WI-FI.
Disabled visitors can access free-of-charge those FAI properties that are open to the public by showing their ANMIC (Associazione Nazionale Mutilati e Invalidi Civili) card.
The property is accessible to those with learning difficulties. To find out more, please visit www.benefaipertutti.it
The property is challenging for those who have difficulty walking. Please contact the property for more information.
Choose Torre e Casa Campatelli for your events
A house-museum and one of the mediaeval towers serve as venues for your events in San Gimignano
Under the large mediaeval tower and amid the original furnishings of the upper-middle-class Campatelli family, you can stage corporate meetings, aperitifs and tasting sessions and private receptions and dinners in the heart of San Gimignano. It is the perfect backdrop for photo shoots and film shoots that are intended to evoke the lifestyle of 19th-century Tuscany.
By selecting a FAI property as a venue for your event, you are contributing to the conservation and protection of Italy’s heritage.
What can you do at the Campatelli Tower-House?
Private events
Private receptions and dinners, aperitifs and tastings...
Corporate away days
Corporate away days, corporate meetings, conferences, volunteering projects, team-building activities, “out of hours” guided tours and workshops led by experts, just for you.
Photo/film shoots
The Campatelli Tower-House is the ideal backdrop for photo shoots and is a wonderful film set.
For information
Beatrice Andreuccetti
b.andreuccetti@fondoambiente.it
